Join us as we hit the streets to talk to voters door to door about the local primary election (ballots are due August 1). During local election years, only half of Whatcom County's registered voters return ballots, compared to over 80% during presidential election years. Even less people turn out for the primary election. The officials you vote for in local elections make decisions that impact you directly – from keeping our drinking water clean to providing our community with renewable energy jobs.Pro tips: Please bring sunscreen, comfortable shoes or sandals suitable for walking, a shoulder bag or backpack, and a water bottle. We'll have the snacks, coffee, and tea and provide the training! For more information, email GOTV@re-sources.org or call (360) 733-8307 ext. 223.As a 501(c)(3) organization, RE Sources does not directly or indirectly influence any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office.See More

The community is invited to the annual What’s the Point beach exploration event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 24, at Point Whitehorn Marine Park, 6899 Koehn Rd, Blaine. The mid-day low tide is -3.1 feet at 12:05 p.m.RSVP on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/139319099952828/ During the event, naturalists familiar with intertidal creatures and seaweeds, birds, native plants, forest ecology, and local geology will answer questions and lead tours along Point Whitehorn Beach, an extraordinary stretch of natural shoreline teeming with wildlife. Children can play a game of naturalist bingo as they hunt for various plants and animals, and explore tidepools with expert storytellers. Naturalists include: -Casey Cook of the Marine Life Center, Holly Roger of Wild Whatcom, and Doug Stark of the Whatcom Marine Resources Committee, who will lead kid-friendly tidepool explorations and tell astounding stories about how tidepool creatures live.-Marine specialists Bob Lemon, Lynne Givler, Marie Hitchman, and marine biologist Michael Kyte, who will teach people about the plants and animals in the intertidal zone.-Geologist Dave Tucker, who will lead field trips to investigate beach and bluff geology. Field trip times will be announced the day of the event.-Lyle Anderson of the Cherry Point Aquatic Reserve Citizen Stewardship Committee, who will be on the forest trail to the beach teaching people about native plants.-Nick Skye with Whatcom Land Trust, who will lead walks to and from the beach explaining how the forest ecosystem relates to the beach.-The Marine Mammal Stranding Network, which will have a booth with touchable pelts of marine animals.The trail at Point Whitehorn Marine Park meanders through a forested wetland and is wheelchair accessible for ¾ mile, including viewpoints at the top of the bluff overlooking the beach and the Strait of Georgia. Porta potties are available in the parking lot. Participants should bring picnic lunches and drinking water, outdoor clothing and sturdy shoes, waterproof sunscreen, and bags to pack trash out. Please leave furry friends at home — dogs are not allowed in this county park. The event is sponsored by Whatcom Land Trust and the Cherry Point Aquatic Reserve Citizen Stewardship Committee, in partnership with the Marine Life Center, Washington State Department of Natural Resources, Whatcom County Parks & Recreation, and RE Sources for Sustainable Communities. Directions: Take I-5 Exit 266 and drive west on Grandview Road for 8.5 miles. Follow the road as it curves left and becomes Koehn Road. Continue 1/2 mile to the parking lot on the left.See More

On Sunday, June 25, community members and environmental activists will gather at Boulevard Park in Bellingham for the free community event “Two if by land, one if by sea: Oil transport threatens the Salish Sea” to celebrate the endangered Southern Resident orca whale population and fight for their protection. The Orca Month event is hosted by local organizations RE Sources for Sustainable Communities, Sierra Club Washington State Chapter, Puget Soundkeeper Alliance, Friends of the San Juans, and Washington Environmental Council. The event will begin with groups walking, biking and paddling to the park to represent the crude oil pipelines, trains, and tankers that threaten our fragile orca populations and the Salish Sea, both by land and by sea. A community picnic, family-friendly activities, educational booths, and live music are scheduled from noon to 3 p.m., with a short program of speakers starting at 1 p.m. What: Orca Month event “Two If by Land, One if by Sea: Oil Transport Threatens the Salish Sea”Who: Speakers include Rick Wood, a documentary filmmaker working to tell the story of the resident orca whales, and Sharon Abreu and Michael Hurwicz, a musical duo with an activist messageWhen: June 25th, 12 p.m. - 3 p.m. (paddlers, bikers and walkers will meet at 11 a.m. at designated locations and will parade to the park)Where: Boulevard Park, 470 Bayview Dr, Bellingham, WA 98225 This event is part of the 11th annual Orca Awareness Month, started by long-time orca education and advocacy group Orca Network. Members of the Orca Salmon Alliance (OSA) are hosting events throughout the month to educate the public about the Southern Resident orca population and the challenges they face. Increased oil transport in the Salish Sea poses an unacceptable threat to local waterways, communities, and the endangered Southern Resident orcas. The proposed Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion in B.C. would drastically increase shipping of crude oil through Haro Strait, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the Salish Sea — and risk the safety of our drinking water and fisheries. Puget Sound is already one of the leading petroleum refining centers in the country, putting us at risk for a catastrophic oil spill that would devastate the marine environment and most likely push the already struggling Southern Resident orcas over the brink. The 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska had a devastating impact on the orca population in Prince William Sound, and only a handful of non-breeding aged individual orcas remain today. More information on walking, biking, or paddling to the event is available on the Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/291089971339855/See More

Alliance for Jobs and Clean Energy supporter organizations RE Sources for Sustainable Communities, Washington BlueGreen Alliance, Community to Community Development, and Washington Environmental Council are co-hosting a forum “Fund the solutions, price the pollution: The future of climate policy in Washington state” from 6:30 - 8 p.m. on Tuesday, June 20, at Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship, 1207 Ellsworth St, Bellingham (map).The Alliance for Jobs and Clean Energy is a statewide coalition of individuals, organizations, and businesses dedicated to reducing global warming pollution, strengthening the economy, and making sure all families have a better future.The Alliance is advancing a statewide policy initiative for 2018 to reduce carbon emissions and build a clean energy future. The initiative would invest in clean energy, clean water, and healthy forests, by implementing a performance-based tax on major polluters, while providing investment for disproportionately impacted communities and a just transition for workers.Rosalinda Guillen, Executive Director of Community to Community Development and Steering Committee Member of the Alliance for Jobs and Clean Energy, will give a short introduction. Forum speakers include:Sameer Ranade, Climate and Clean Energy Campaign Associate at Washington Environmental CouncilSteve Garey, Steering Committee Member of the Washington BlueGreen Alliance, and retired refinery worker and union president of the United Steelworkers Local 12-591Edgar Franks, Civic Engagement Program Coordinator at Community to Community DevelopmentEddy Ury, Clean Energy Program Manager at RE Sources for Sustainable CommunitiesSee More

RE Sources for Sustainable Communities and Western Washington University club Students for the Salish Sea are hosting an Earth Day beach cleanup at Locust Beach to remove trash and large debris from the beach.The cleanup is from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM on Saturday, April 22nd at Locust Beach. The trailhead to the beach is located at the dead end of Locust Avenue, off Marine Drive in Bellingham. Limited parking is available in a public lot on the north side of the street (map). Participants should meet at the Locust Beach parking lot. Participants are encouraged to carpool or ride your bike.The event is coordinated by RE Sources’ AmeriCorps-Washington Service Corps members Natalie Lord, the Aquatic Reserve Coordinator for the Clean Water program, and Lindsey Gard, the Green Classrooms Coordinator for the Sustainable Schools program, along with Students for the Salish Sea.The cleanup is appropriate for all ages. Light snacks and equipment will be supplied, but volunteers are encouraged to bring work gloves and 5-gallon plastic buckets. Registration is not required.Questions: Email Lindsey Gard at lindseyg@re-sources.org or call (360) 733-8307.To RSVP for the event, go online to facebook.com/events/117925902084341.See More

Marine bird experts will host a free educational series “Marine Birds of the Salish Sea” from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, February 22-23, at RE Sources for Sustainable Communities, 2309 Meridian St., Bellingham. The event is sponsored by North Cascades Audubon Society in collaboration with RE Sources for Sustainable Communities and the Cherry Point Aquatic Reserve Citizen Stewardship Committee. The two-part series — taught by Caanan Cowles, a biologist with more than a decace of experience researching seabirds in the Salish Sea, and Pam Borso, president of North Cascades Audubon Society — will teach participants about physical characteristics of more than 30 species, their behavior, and interesting facts about their histories. Participants are encouraged to attend both classes. Previous class participants are welcome to attend. After the classes, participants will have the opportunity to go on a birding tour led by North Cascades Audubon Society. The field trip time and date will be decided during the class. North Cascades Audubon Society has been conducting surveys of marine birds for several years at Cherry Point. The series is intended to increase awareness of marine birds and the reasons the North Cascades Audubon Society monitors them. North Cascades Audubon Society also hosts monthly guided birding tours from 9 a.m. to noon the first Saturday of the month at Semiahmoo Park, 9261 Semiahmoo Pkwy, Blaine. To register for the event, email Lyle Anderson at lyleand2@comcast.net or call 360-739-9249. For more information, visit northcascadesaudubon.org/calendar/.See More

Marine bird experts will host a free educational series “Marine Birds of the Salish Sea” from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, February 22-23, at RE Sources for Sustainable Communities, 2309 Meridian St., Bellingham. The event is sponsored by North Cascades Audubon Society in collaboration with RE Sources for Sustainable Communities and the Cherry Point Aquatic Reserve Citizen Stewardship Committee. The two-part series — taught by Caanan Cowles, a biologist with more than a decace of experience researching seabirds in the Salish Sea, and Pam Borso, president of North Cascades Audubon Society — will teach participants about physical characteristics of more than 30 species, their behavior, and interesting facts about their histories. Participants are encouraged to attend both classes. Previous class participants are welcome to attend. After the classes, participants will have the opportunity to go on a birding tour led by North Cascades Audubon Society. The field trip time and date will be decided during the class. North Cascades Audubon Society has been conducting surveys of marine birds for several years at Cherry Point. The series is intended to increase awareness of marine birds and the reasons the North Cascades Audubon Society monitors them. North Cascades Audubon Society also hosts monthly guided birding tours from 9 a.m. to noon the first Saturday of the month at Semiahmoo Park, 9261 Semiahmoo Pkwy, Blaine. To register for the event, email Lyle Anderson at lyleand2@comcast.net or call 360-739-9249. For more information, visit northcascadesaudubon.org/calendar/.See More